Hello!

Our Youth Ministry is being led by:
Youth Worker: Ps. Fui
President: Kendra Ang,
Vice-President: Jolene Tan,
with a group of Senior Leaders: Clement Eng, Doreen Soon, Chia Xin Pei, Suzanne Tan, David Soon, Teoh Ling Hui and Ding Ming Hui



led by Gabrielle See (Secretary) & Wong Xin Hui (Treasurer)




Led by Woo Hui Qi



Led by Doretta Soon


Led by Jessie Ma and Jonathan Lim



Led by Shannon Low



Led by Rachel Ma



Led by Chia Xin Hui and Kendrick Teo

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Lent
The Holy Spirit as Resurrection Power

Acts 2:14-24

Peter Addresses the Crowd
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17" 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Jews from many countries gathered annually at the feast of weeks fifty days (pente-) after the sabbath of the Passover, to present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord (Num 23:16). Little did they know that on this Pentecost two thousand years ago, they were to experience God offering them instead a gift – the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came upon those gathered so that they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. To their asking each other what this all meant, Peter proclaimed that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy given in Joel 2:28-32, that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all flesh, the same Holy Spirit who had raised Jesus from the dead. Today it is that same Spirit who gives utterance to those who preach the gospel, knowledge to those who translate the scriptures to many languages, courage to those who live out their faith in their homes and business, vision to the young who execute tasks, and dreams to the elderly to inspire others. Today many seek power, but if such power is not from God, it will perish with those who exercise it. Resurrection power is no respecter of persons for anyone can receive it.

Resurrection power is limitless for it is by the Holy Spirit, as Peter proclaimed, that Jesus was raised from the dead. Come Holy Spirit, come and give us the power to make all things new.

Resurrection power is from generation to generation, for it is from Jesus who is alive today, and seated on the right hand of God. Let us ask Jesus today for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Commitment:
Lord, I surrender what power I may have: grant me the power which is in your resurrected body.

Prayer:
Risen Christ, help me to recognize how weak I always am, and in great need of your resurrection power. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Rachel have posted a prayer request.

I will be going to a year camp on Tuesday so please help me to pray that i will have strength to attend the everyday activities and protection, good health throughout the camp.

Please do continue to pray for any brother and sister you know who are ill or falling ill.
And also, those who are busy preparing for their SYFs next month.
Even those who are spiritually low.

- Doreen

Labels: Prayer

Monday of the Fifth Week in Lent
God's Glory in Christ

2 Corinthians 3:4-11

⁴Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. ⁵Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant

⁷Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹⁰For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

What exactly do we mean when we say something is glorious or has its own glory? J.I. Parker, the famed theologian, calls God’s glory “His splendour on display.” I believe God’s glory means the fullness of who He is. Nothing we do or don’t do will ever add to or subtract from God’s glory. Thus when we say that God’s glory was in Christ, it means that the full expression of all that God is was found in Christ.

Moses, the one whom God chose to be the Lawgiver, had a glory that was reflected and temporal, unlike our Lord’s intrinsic glory. The old covenant given through Moses through the Law offered no inner transformation, but the new covenant administered by the Holy Spirit brings about the total transformation of both the inner and outer man. The greatest privilege of a Christian is to be transformed into that glory day by day – a metamorphosis made possible by God’s indwelling Spirit and this glory, instead of fading away day by day, will glow brighter and greater with each passing day.

Today, we do not need to veil our faces as in Moses’ days. For God’s Spirit who fills our lives will reveal His glory in and through us for all men to see. We, however, need constantly to yield our lives to Him for cleansing and sanctification.


Commitment:
Lord, I want to repent of everything that does not reflect your true glory to the world around me.
Lord, I want to repent in the following areas of my life so that the fullness of your glory might be found in me:_______.

Prayer:
Lord, may your glory shine through me as I conform more and more to the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Fifth Sunday in Lent
Life through Death

John 12:20-33

Jesus Predicts His Death

²⁰Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." ²²Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!"

Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." ²⁹The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³²But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." ³³He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

Jesus taught a principle from nature that would resonate with people regardless of whether they were from a farming community or not. The principle was about losing one’s life and in the process gaining it.

In the above passage, Jesus was predicting His own death, a death which would bring about a new life – eternal life. Most of the time, when a sacrifice is made, it is for the sake of the living. Likewise, when our Lord Jesus died on the cross as the one holy and perfect sacrifice, He meant that through His death would come life. If His love for us would bring forth fruit, He must come down to earth and die. There was no other way to save a humanity lost in sin except through death, and our Saviour willingly went to the cross for our sake. His death does not just benefit one individual, but people from every tribe, tongue and nation who would put their faith in Him. Those who follow the Saviour and desire to live for Him must, die before they can truly experience life.

The greatest evidence of being alive is fruitfulness. As Christians let us ask ourselves if we are bearing fruit – whether the fruit of worship from our lips (Heb 13:15), fruit of character (Gal 5:22,23), fruit of righteousness (Phil 1:11), fruit of good work (Col 1:10) or the fruit of winning souls for the Kingdom (Prov 11:30)?

May we be inspired by George Mueller who once said:” There was a day when I died – died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame of my brethren or friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God”.

Commitment:
Lord, I want to die to self and live for Christ. I want to yield every area of my life to your Lordship.

Prayer:
My Saviour and Lord, help me to experience life that is truly life indeed – a life that is abundant, meaningful and fruitful. Amen.





All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent
God will save the anointed

Habakkuk 3:2-13
2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Selah [a]
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian in anguish.
8 Were you angry with the rivers, O LORD ?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
when you rode with your horses
and your victorious chariots?
9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.
Selah
You split the earth with rivers;
10 the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.
11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,
at the lightning of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed the nations.
13 You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
Selah

With the eye of a prophet, Habakkuk sees a battle of life and death unfolding. His verbs are powerful, full of movements; his adjectives dramatic and vivid. This description of God striding out against evil needs a vocabulary larger than everyday words.

God’s glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth. His splendor was like sunrise, with rays flashing from His hands. His coming shook the earth, causing the mountains and hills to collapse, making the nation tremble. This great poetry with its dramatic effect sounds like something out of the latest science-fiction movie. In indignation and anger, God, the royal and holy One, strides through the earth, marching as to war against the armies of evil. He comes bringing salvation and deliverance to His people.

These dramatic verses can be read on several different levels. There are references to creation when God made the heavens and the earth and set order in place. There are references of God coming to rescue His people from bondage in Egypt, leading them into freedom.

The reference to “your anointed one” (v13) reaches ahead to Jesus who came from the heart of God; He entered into the sinfulness of human existence and defeated the principalities and power that held us all in bondage. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we are still sinners, Christ died for us.” In Christ, death itself has been conquered by the One who offered Himself up in death, thus setting us free. Jesus describes His own mission by quoting Isaiah,” The spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19)
Commitment:
In all turmoil and uncertainty of life today, I commit my life again to Jesus the One who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8).

Prayer:
Dear Lord, from creation until today, I see your hand upon our world and my life. Thank You for your saving grace through Jesus, the anointed redeemer. With the prophet I pray, “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in you awe of deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known” (Hab 3:2). Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent
Through suffering , Christ saves

Hebrews 5:5-10
5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father." 6 And he says in another place,
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

To describe Jesus as the Great High Priest, a priest who lives forever, seems incongruous with the idea of suffering and tears. Ought not someone holding such a ‘high’ office be above normal human experience and emotions? Those in senior church leadership today would want to quickly respond with a resounding “no”. Not only do such people remain as ‘human’ as you or I, regardless of the office they hold, but sometimes the office itself can be place upon them a greater level of suffering and human emotions.

Verse 7 is the pivotal verse in this 14 verse chapter and it is here that the writer takes us to the heart of the priesthood of Jesus. It says;” in the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.” Clearly, the writhe has in mind as Jesus wrestle in prayer with the father, Hutchison Gabriel, in his hymn,’ I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene”, expresses in poetry that moment in the garden which led Jesus to the Cross;



The sublime nature of the Priesthood of Jesus found, not in a parade of His greatness, but in the actions of humility and submission to the will of the father. And through such obedience, ”He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (v9).
Commitment:
Praise God today that through the obedience of Jesus, the burden and suffering of sin has been lifted from us as he went to the Cross.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, “What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend, For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end? O make me Thine for Ever! And should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never, Outlive my love to Thee.” Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Lent
A New Covenant Written On The Heart

Jeremiah 31:31-34

³¹ "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.

³² It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,"
declares the LORD.

³³ "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

³⁴ No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD.
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."

A covenant relationship is a special relationship between two parties. It is an agreement of promise and commitment, like the one made between a husband and a wife. For a covenant relationship to blossom, both parties must adhere to the requirements of the covenant.
In this passage, we see God announcing through His prophet his intention to make a new covenant with His people. He has seen how easily His people in the past violated the relationship with Him when they failed to keep their commitment.

But instead of abandoning His people as a punishment for their infidelity and way ward tendencies, God offered them a new covenant, not because they deserve it but because He loved them.

Thankfully, our God is a God of grace and mercy. One who forgives sins and chooses not to remember the sins he has forgiven. In the new covenant relationship, He will inscribe His law in our heart for it to take a more central role in the transforming of our inner being, in forming our character and in governing the way we think and the way we live. It is a covenant relationship where to know God personally is to know Him both with our head and our heart.
Commitment:
Those selfish desires form the centre of my heart to make way for Christ and the inscription of God’s law.

Prayer:
O Lord who loves us and who has inscribe Your law in our heart, teach us to know You, and love You as we ought, with our head and our heart to remain faithful in covenantal relationship with You.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Lent
God is Our Light

Isaiah 60:15-22
15 "Although you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one traveling through,
I will make you the everlasting pride
and the joy of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed at royal breasts.
Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace your governor
and righteousness your ruler.
18 No longer will violence be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow will end.
21 Then will all your people be righteous
and they will possess the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,
the work of my hands,
for the display of my splendor.
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the LORD;
in its time I will do this swiftly."

This world is in terrible mess: wars, indiscriminate terrorist bombings, religious tensions, ethnic conflicts, global warming, HIV/AIDS pandemic, starvation and widespread poverty. As I write this fueled human greed and acquisitive spirit, has been described by Alan Greenspan, the former chairperson of the American Federal Reserve as a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami”. In face of such calamities, it is easy to think that we are trapped in a quagmire which is so deep that we cannot extricate ourselves. The future seems so bleak.

Yet in spite of the overwhelming problems sometimes caused by natural disasters but often brought about by human sinfulness (Is 59:2-15a), God in His grace has promised a bright future for those who know Him and seek to follow His way of righteousness. It is a future when a battered world of stubborn darkness will give way to the new world of God’s penetrating and transforming light. It is a new world with a future which is available to those who trust in Him and not those who put their trust in the false promises of a sin-inflicted world.
Commitment:
My foolish inclination to be attracted to and blinded by the distractive light of the world instead of following the true Light.

Prayer:
Help us, O Lord, not to contribute to, or be caught up with, the sinful ways of the world. Use us, instead, to be the light that will point people to your way of salvation. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Lent
God is Faithful

1 Corinthians 10:6-13
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry. 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

The lesson of history is that man doesn’t’ learn from history. The recent financial turmoil is a sad reminder of this. The world was drunk, so to speak, when impressive and easy gains were offered. People played the securities markets even though they are known to be of un-sustainable foundations. It is not unlike the self-created and idolatrous belief in the power of the Golden Calf to lead and provide.

Millions of seemingly innocent people have suffered unimaginable loss. Were they innocently enticed by marketing schemes promising attractive and easy gains instead of contentment with the stable returns in cautious savings? It is difficult to admit to it was no less than greed succumbing to the temptation of financial promises.

The wilderness wanderings of the Israelites were written for our instruction. God’s people should listen and take heed. It is scary to witness the collapse of the most august institutions whose names were synonymous with the creation and growth of the modern financial systems.

Would people ever learn from history? While regulations may be necessary, they are not of more value if underlying issue is not recognized and addressed. We must ask for grace to have the courage, humility and honesty to name the true underlying cause of the crisis.

We are exhorted to ask the Lord of wisdom. The Lord does not tempt but man tempts himself in his own weakness and greed (Jas1:5, 12-15). Indeed, the Lord is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond your own ability. He has kept faith by first sending His only Son to live on earth by walk resolutely against temptations. The “way of escape” is not the absence of temptations by the power of the Cross. Paul declares that we are more than conquerors because of God’s unconditional love (Rom 8:31-39).Our confidence and ability to endure surely comes from this wisdom and this alone!
Commitment:
Lord I surrender my wisdom and human confidence in standing up to temptation through Your faithful provision of “the way of escape”, the Cross of Christ

Prayer:
Lord grant me the peace, wisdom, humility and courage not only to the name the real temptation in life but also to embrace the real “way of escape” in the power of the Cross. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Monday of the Fourth Week in Lent
Christ is Faithful as a Son

Hebrews 3:1-6

Jesus Greater Than Moses

¹Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. ²He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. ³Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ⁵Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. ⁶But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

One of the challenges of contemporary living is the fast pace of change. One has hardly the time to register the changes that take place, let alone think about them. In 2008, we were impacted by the ups and downs of many unprecedented global events. How should these events be perceived and understood?

In times like these, the exhortation to “consider Jesus” is crucial. To “consider” requires discipline and cost.

Consideration takes time when “no time” is on the lips of many. It requires sacrifice when “opportunity lost” is to be avoided at all cost. It clamours for substance when the world is satisfied with “performative rhetoric”. It demands a cultivated nature and the mental ability to weigh things up and think things through. What does the church have to offer if it does not give due consideration to the issues that are common to all? The church should always ask “What would Jesus do?”

Jesus in His focused vocation is hardly in serious discourse or consideration among Christians today. It is not surprising because expectations of immediate and mega impact are expected and are posted as deciding criteria of power. Faithfulness as a Son of God who appoints is very different from being faithful itself. The Son is called and sent to do the Father’s will and none other. This requires the ultimate sacrifice of the Son facing nothing less than death on the Cross! Only then is the Son worthy to be the centrality of our confession and the high priest of all creation.

We belong to Him (“we are His house”) only “if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope”. Let us learn to “consider Jesus” lest we become of no encouragement to others(Heb 10:24), lest we grow weary and fainthearted(Heb 12:3) and lest we fail to be thankful and humble(Heb 13:7).
Commitment:
Lord, I surrender my right to force in worldly content and comfort to my own life but instead to “consider” the faithful cross- centered life of Jesus as the measure of my life.

Prayer:
Lord, open our blinded eyes, clear our confused minds, and soften our hearts to recapture “the vision of the Cross” and cause us to deeply consider “ the breath and length and height and depth” of His faithful love. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Fourth Sunday in Lent
The Lifting up the Son of Man

John 3:14-21

¹⁴Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. ¹⁹This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

There are those of us who experience life as a stern taskmaster exerting demands on us whenever we encounter obstacles and distractions from what we years for in life. Some of us may also encounter distressful experiences that cause us pain and guilt, leaving us wondering if the God we believe in is all but a punitive parent who delights in condemnation rather than affirmation.

Sometimes we wander about in darkness, searching for a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. Somehow, this eludes us as the tunnel seems so long and dark. There does not seem to be relief and each day just seems to bring about a sense of despair.

Depression often sets in, accompanied by feelings of anxiety and a sense of hopelessness. Life seems so meaningless and prevailing negative thoughts about oneself, people, the world and God obscure our perspective that life is worth living. It is comforting that in the midst of it all, there is the assurance that our God, the Shepherd is with us, so that “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me” (Ps 23:4).

That was the reason God sent His Son into this world, to offer salvation and bring us into the light. This should spell deliverance from our pain and guilt, despair and distress.
God will not leave us alone for His Son is here with us, to journey with us, transforming our journey of darkness into light.
Commitment:
I surrender to you O Lord the darkness in my life, fear and anxieties so that I may catch the light which comes from you.

Prayer:
Thank you for your assurance that you will never leave me nor forsake me. Lead me to your light and love. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Saturday of the Third week in Lent
The Lifting up of the Serpent

Numbers 21:4-9

The Bronze Snake

⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; ⁵ they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"

⁶ Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. ⁷ The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

⁸ The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

Sometimes when life’s journey becomes dreary, we tend to be impatient, given to exasperation and complaints. Life seems to be harsh with no clear relief in view.

Such moment can be a trying experience for us as we may begin to wonder if God really cares. Some may even question if He is anywhere at all since all we may be confronted with is the harsh reality of our struggles in life.

This calls for a reminder from God that He is there and not silent. He does speak if we would only listen. What He wants to hear is that He is involved in our struggles and demands a response.

Oftentimes He would engage His servant to minister to us and direct us to look upwards when all else below tends to be overwhelming. This is what God is doing in sending people to be there for us, so that we need not journey alone nor struggle in isolation.

What we have to do is acknowledge our need for a helping hand, a willingness to receive whatever help we need to bolster our inner strength. We do need help to raise our heads to look beyond this earthly reality with its daunting demands. And if we would look up to see the bronze serpent foreshadowing our crucified Lord on Calvary we would be empowered to live despite whatever may befall us in life.
Commitment:
I surrender my exasperations and confusions to you O Lord, for from you comes my hope and deliverance.

Prayer:
O Lord, in my heaviness of heart, life up my spirit to see you and know you are there. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Friday of the Third Week in Lent
What God Revealed and What God Concealed

Daniel 12:5-13

⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. ⁶ One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?"

⁷ The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."

⁸ I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"

⁹ He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

¹¹ "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. ¹² Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.

¹³ "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."

A time, times, and half a time … 1290 days … 1335 days – these are words and concepts that do not come into our thinking process often enough. (To add to the figures, ‘a time, times and half a time’ is often reckoned as 1260 days, working on the Jewish year of 360 days, multiplied by 3 and a half.)

“I heard, but I did not understand’ (v8a) – these words of Daniel surely reflect a similar position that many Christians are in when it comes to eschatology, the theology of the end time. The angel’s reply is highly instructive, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.’ There seems to be a hint that as we approach understanding of God’s eschatological plans as His revelations are ‘unsealed’.

God’s words to us come both revealed and concealed. What is ‘revealed’ is plain and straightforward (e.g. ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’). What is ‘concealed’ will require our mental energy and correlate that with the rest of related Scriptures, in the light of God’s prophetic words fulfilled. To understand what is ‘concealed’ requires effort.

The angel who spoke to Daniel gave us great hope in our effort to understand the concealed mysteries of God when he said, ‘ … but those who are wise shall understand’ (v10b). The wise are those who fear and honour God, who set their hearts to diligently study Holy Scripture. Come and join the ranks of the wise!
Commitment:
I submit myself to the diligent study of Holy Scripture – not just reading the Bible devotionally, but studying the Word of God devotedly.

Prayer:
Dear Lord God, thank you for the Holy Word, the word of everlasting life. Help me to study the Bible with zeal and devotion, especially the prophetic parts of Holy Scripture, so that I may be counted not amongst the wicked who shall not understand, but with the wise who shall understand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Thursday of the Third week of Lent
Covenant – A One-sided Agreement

Genesis 9:8-17

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

¹² And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

¹⁷ So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

We often think of ‘covenant’ as a solemn agreement made between ‘contracting parties’, in particular between God and human beings with whom He interacted and dealt with, such as the covenant that God made with Abraham (Gen 17: 1-14) and with the nation of Israel (Ex 19: 1-5). As Christians we always think of the New Covenant (Luke22: 14-20 and related gospel passages as well as in Hebrews) as the ultimate covenant.

One characteristic of God’s covenants is the requirement that we keep out part of the bargain, notably the call to live in obedience to God as His covenantal people. Jesus summed up our covenantal relationship with Him with these words, ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments’ (Jn 14:15).

God’s covenant with Noah was exceptional in this regard – there was absolutely nothing that Noah and his children (or even the animals! v10) were required to do. It was a totally one-sided agreement, with nothing for God to gain, so to speak.

We can actually argue that the same one-sidedness is found in all the other covenants of God as well, including the partakers. Yes, in the New Covenant, we are bound by faith in action to love, obey and serve God. But like God’s covenant with Noah, the New Covenant is also one-sided because God gains nothing from our obedience and service.

Actually, all of God’s dealing with us are one-sided: He gains nothing, we gain everything! Such an understanding of our Heavenly Father’s boundless grace should lead us to true and acceptable worship, the presentation of our lives to serve His purpose (Rom 12:1 and Heb 12:28-29) to His eternal glory and praise.
Commitment:
God, Abba-Father, I surrender my will to you. I seek only to do your will.

Prayer:
Dear God and Father, thank you for your gracious dealings with humanity. As I recall the love, mercy and kindness with which you dealt wit hNoah, I thank you for your unconditional love for us. As I recall the night that the New Covenant was instituted when your Son spoke of ‘the new covenant in My blood’, help me to be forever grateful for such a precious sacrifice. In response, I now offer my life as a sacrifice, that I may do your will and serve your purpose, to your eternal praise and glory. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Wednesday of the Third week in Lent
Rebuilding the Temple

Ezra 6: 1-16

Ezra 6

The Decree of Darius

¹ King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. ² A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:

³ In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide, ⁴ with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. ⁵ Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.

⁶ Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you, their fellow officials of that province, stay away from there. ⁷ Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

⁸ Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
The expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. ⁹ Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.

¹¹ Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for this crime his house is to be made a pile of rubble. ¹² May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

Completion and Dedication of the Temple

¹³ Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. ¹⁴ So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. ¹⁵ The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶ Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

The Jerusalem temple was destroyed in 586 BC. For seventy years, it laid in ruins. When it was finally rebuilt in 516 BC, it was a milestone event.

Firstly, the rebuilding of the temple reminded Israel to place God at the centre of her national life. In 537 BC, Persian ruler King Cyrus had allowed thousands of exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem. Although they were now back in their homeland, these returnees realized that something was still amiss. Israel has always been taught to focus its national life around the worship of God. His commandments were to be obeyed. Festivals were to be observed. Prayers and sacrifices were to be offered. In all these undertakings, the temple was the focal point. Hence the urgent need to rebuild the temple.

Secondly, the rebuilding highlighted God's overruling hand among Gentile nations. Beginning in 539 BC when Cyrus captured Babylon, Persia gradually extended its rule over much of the ancient world. No other nation could challenge her. But God moved in the hearts of Cyrus and Darius. They set out decrees which allowed returnee Jews to rebuild their temple. Persian governors were instructed to assist them in this task. Supplies required for the rebuilding were to be provided out of the king's treasury. And temple vessels stolen by the Babylonians earlier were to be returned to the Jews.

Thirdly, the rebuilding necessitated God's people to do their part. God did not will the temple into existence. The Jews had to do their part. At times, the builders faced opposition and for a period, the rebuilding work ceased. But God raised up prophets like Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people. Priests and Levites, elders and ordinary workers laboured alongside one another until the rebuilding was completed.

Labels: Lent

Tuesday of the Third week in Lent
Cleansing the Temple

2 Chronicles 29: 1-11, 16-19

Hezekiah Purifies the Temple

¹ Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.

³ In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. ⁴ He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side ⁵ and said: "Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. ⁶ Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD's dwelling place and turned their backs on him. ⁷ They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. ⁸ Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. ⁹ This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. ¹⁰ Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense."

¹⁶ The priests went into the sanctuary of the LORD to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the LORD's temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the LORD. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley. ¹⁷ They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.

¹⁸ Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: "We have purified the entire temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles. ¹⁹ We have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the LORD's altar."

Hezekiah ruled over the Southern Kingdom of Judah for twenty-nine years (715-686 BC). Of the twenty kings Judah had, only eight were either good or passable. The rest were bad. Hezekiah was a good king. He “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD” (v2).

He was a good king despite the fact that circumstances did not favour a godly rule. His father, King Ahaz (731-715 BC), had been a bad king. He desecrated the temple, introduced foreign gods, established pagan sacrifices. Hezekiah refused to be a captive of bad circumstances. From the first year of his reign, he was determined to set right what had gone wrong. He chose to do “all that David his father had done” (v2).

Hezekiah was a good king because he recognized the hand of God in Judah’s hardships. During the period of Ahaz’s mis-rule, the land had suffered defeat at the hands of the Arameans (NE Syria) and the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Thousands of Jews had been killed and many others had been taken away as captives.

Hezekiah saw in these events God’s hand of judgment (v5-9). He was prepared to learn from the lessons of the past. Restoration only begins when we recognize where we have gone wrong.
Hezekiah was a good king as he was determined to renew the ancient Mosaic covenant with the Lord (v10). He repaired the temple doors, abolished idolatry throughout the land, instructed the priests and Levites to cleanse the temple and restored proper worship. Later, he instructed the people to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob became again the focal point of their national life.
Commitment:
Like Hezekiah, I need to rise about bad circumstances.

Prayer:
Almighty God, help me to recognize that my “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit”. May I always glorify you in my body. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Hey everyone!
who went for Earthwired last saturday?
haha, photos of that event have been uploaded by the event photographer, Justin Kon.
Click here to view the photos!

for those who didnt go for the Earthwired, you are of course still welcome to go and visit the Earthwired photo album! :)

Enjoy!
- Doreen

Labels: Announcements

Monday of the Third week in Lent
You are God’s Temple

1 Corinthians 3:10-23

¹⁰By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. ¹⁴If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

¹⁶Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; ²⁰and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." ²¹So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

The Lord Jesus has ascended into Heaven and dwells and reigns there in glory. If the Temple is where God dwells and reigns, then what about the earthly Temple? The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans, and there is no more temple there. Instead we have a new temple on earth – the church.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians describing the church in two key metaphors: “ You are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor 3:9). The passage that follows then develops the idea of a building. He enriches the metaphor further by declaring, “you are God’s temple” (v17). This can be more clearly translated from the original Greek as “you all, together, are God’s temple.” What Paul had in mind was that the church, as a community, was one temple. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul refers to individual Christians when he wrote that each of our bodies is a temple of the Holy Spirit. But here in verse 17, the corporate church is the temple.

The implications are that as God’s temple, we are to be pure and holy, righteous and blameless. As we saw in yesterday’s meditation, God wants the temple to be cleared of all the worldly clutter and sinful rubbish. Both as individual Christians and as the corporate Body of Christ, we are to allow God’s presence to dwell in and among us, so that the world can see the glory of God in both our personal and communal lives.

There is no place for sin in and among us. If we tolerate it, we will become temples for idols, and not be the true temple of God. Are we, individually and corporately, the temple of the holy and living God? What would be the verdict – from heaven and on earth?

Commitment:
I surrender all the known sins within me that are incompatible with my identity as the temple of the Holy Spirit. I surrender my sins of commission and omission that prevent the church from being the temple of God.

Prayer:
Holy God, you have chosen my heart and your church to be your temple on earth. Help us to repent of our sins so that your splendour may be displayed in and among us. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

This article is the one to continue from the article page for today's bulletin.
Do read to learn and know more about the Lent period! :)
- Doreen

Lent 101 by Penny Ford

Lent is a season of the Christian year when people are invited to simplify their lives to focus on their relationship with God in Christ.

Where does the concept of Lent come from?

At Jesus' baptism the sky split open, the Spirit of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased." Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus hiked into the wilderness. Maybe he needed some time with God to sort through the major changes happening in his life. Maybe he was searching for direction and answers. Maybe he needed to get away from family, friends and the familiar routine in order to see God, and himself, more clearly. For whatever reason, Jesus retreated into the wilderness for forty days to fast and pray. While he was there, he was tempted by Satan and found the strength to make some tough decisions. He also found clarity about God and what kind of person God wanted him to be.

What does Lent have to do with me?

It's pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of work, school, relationships, and family. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol or other things. We run from silence because we're afraid of being alone with God. So, like Jesus, we need to take some serious time to pray and figure out where God is in our lives, and where God is calling us to serve. We need to re-focus our lives to be more in line with God.

How do Christians celebrate Lent?

It's different in different traditions. But generally it's a time to return to Christ by cutting out all that distracts us. For some people that means giving up something like candy, TV, soft drinks, beer, cigarettes or meat as a way to purify their bodies and lives. Others take something on and collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to help children, or decide to be kind to someone they don't like. Whatever "stuff" is given up or taken on, the intent must be to draw us closer to Christ. Lent is a resolution to simplify our lives, and to return to the One who loves us -- Jesus.

When is Lent?

It's the forty days before Easter. Lent excludes Sundays (you math geniuses), because every Sunday is like a little Easter. Basically, it's about one-tenth of a year (like a tithe of time).

What does "Mardi Gras" mean?

Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday." It refers to the day before Lent starts. and since Lent always starts on a Wednesday, the day before is always a Tuesday (duh). And it's called "Fat" or "Great" because it's associated with great food and parties.

What do Mardi Gras parties have to do with Lent?

In earlier times, people used Lent as a time of fasting and repentance. Since they didn't want to be tempted by sweets, meat and other distractions in the house, they cleaned out their cabinets. So they used up all the sugar and yeast in sweet breads before the Lent season started, and fixed meals with all the meat available. It was a great feast! Through the years Mardi Gras has evolved (in some places) into a pretty wild party with little to do with preparing for the Lenten season of repentance and simplicity. Oh well. But Christians still know it's origin, and hang onto the true Spirit of the season.

So the real beginning of Lent is Ash Wednesday?

Yes. Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras, usually begins with a service where we recognize our mortality, repent of our sins, and return to our Loving God. We recognize life as a precious gift from God, and re-turn our lives towards Jesus Christ. We may make resolutions and commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we might be more like Christ. In an Ash Wednesday service, usually a minister or priest marks the sign of the cross on a person's forehead with ashes.

Why ashes?

In Jewish and Christian history, ashes are a sign of mortality and repentance. Mortality, because when we die, our bodies eventually decompose and we become dust/ dirt/ash/whatever. Repentance:, because long ago, when people felt remorse for something they did, they would put ashes on their head and wear "sackcloth" (scratchy clothing) to remind them that sin is pretty uncomfortable and leads to a sort of death of the spirit. This was their way of confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness.

Where do the ashes come from?

On what we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem while people waved palms and cheered him on. Less then a week later, Jesus was killed. The palms that were waved in joy became ashes of sorrow. We get ashes for Ash Wednesday by saving the palms from Palm Sunday, burning them, and mixing them with a little water (like tears). It's symbolic.

What do Christians do with ashes?

At an Ash Wednesday service, folks are invited to come forward to receive the ashes. The minister will make a small cross on your forehead by smudging the ashes. While the ashes remind us of our mortality and sin, the cross reminds us of Jesus' resurrection (life after death) and forgiveness. It's a powerful, non-verbal way that we can experience God's forgiveness as we return to Jesus.

COOL THINGS TO DO FOR LENT

1. Skip one meal a day and give the money to the poor.
2. Start a prayer "rhythm." Say a prayer every time you brush your teeth, see a commercial, or check your e-mail.
3. Read a chapter in the Bible a day. (Matthew is a good book to start with).
4. Forgive someone who doesn't deserve it (maybe even yourself).
5. Give up beer or sodas. Give the money you save to the Red Cross.
6. Spend thirty minutes a day in silence.
7. Write someone a thank you letter.
8. Say one nice thing to someone each day.
9. Pray for others on your way to work or school.
10. Volunteer one afternoon a week at a local shelter, tutoring program or Habitat for Humanity.

Taken from: http://www.upperroom.org

Labels: Lent, Sharing

Third Sunday in Lent
A New Temple

John 2:13 - 22

¹³When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. ¹⁵So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

¹⁷His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

¹⁸Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"

¹⁹Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

²⁰The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" ²¹But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ²²After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

If we are not careful, the things of the world tend to find their way into our holiest moments and places. Even temples can become cluttered and corrupted.

The anger of Jesus in ridding the temple of all those who were turning it into one large shopping mall can be understood in what He said: “(Do) not make my Father’s house a house of trade” (v16). Else where He admonished that they had turned God’s House of Prayer into a den of thieves (Mt 21:13). The temple authorities had allowed the Court of the Gentiles in the temple to become an “obstacle course” crowded with money-making ventures. They made lucrative profits from “religious business”, turning the worship of God into a highly profitable enterprise. Not only were they corrupting the temple with their greed and shady business practices, but they were also making it difficult for God-fearing Gentiles to visit the temple.

In so doing, the mafia that was running this business in the temple had totally distorted the sacred theological truths about worship and mission represented by God’s Temple. Hence, the anger of our Lord.

The corrupting influence of the world and the quest for wealth and power that is deeply embedded in the human heart the Lord were to visit our churches, what or who would He throw out? The more we institutionalize our churches, the more we have to be careful that we don’t turn them into obstacles to or substitutes for true worship and mission.

Jesus introduces us to a new Temple – He Himself (v21). We can enter Him without being deceived or distracted for He is the heavenly Temple – fully God and without corruption. Here we find true encouragement and hope.
Commitment:
Lord, I surrender the things of the world that I have been bringing into your holy Church. Lord, I surrender all the corrupt and sinful things in the sanctuary of my heart that bring grief to your holy heart.

Prayer:
Lord of the Temple, cleanse, with your precious blood, our churches and our hearts of all that is deceived and deceiving, and make us holy sanctuaries, fit for your eternal purposes. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Saturday of the Second Week in Lent
A DAZZLING REVELATION

Mark 9:2-8 (New International Version)
The Transfiguration
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

Mountains in the Old Testament are often associated with special spiritual encounters. The awesome display of God’s power that accompanied the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai comes to mind, as well as the fiery triumph of Yahweh on Mount Carmel when Elijah vanquished the prophets of Baal. These were unforgettable episodes from Israel’s history.

Peter, James and John had an unforgettable mountain top experience too. Right after Jesus spoken on His impending sufferings and the cost of discipleship (Mk *:31-32a,34f), He led them up a mountain. They saw Jesus transformed conversing with Moses and Elijah in a cloud reminiscent of Yahweh’s revelation on Sinai.

It was a terrifying yet reassuring vision. It was as if a veil had been lifted, and they caught a glimpse of the true identity of Christ. Their soon-to-be crucified master was in truth the glorious Lord attested to by Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets (i.e., the entire Hebrew Scriptures).

Despite not knowing what to say, Peter said something anyway! His offer to build three tents was just about as silly as trying to catch smoke with a fishing net. In what amounted to putting Jesus on par with Moses and Elijah, he seemed to have missed the point of the dazzling revelation completely.

Beyond the visionary encounter, we hear the Father’s voice affirming Jesus as His beloved Son summoning to listen to Him. He is the Word of the Father. Listen to Him. In Him we come face to face when the truth about God, about ourselves and about all of reality. Through Him we have forgiveness of sins and access to new and eternal life. We do well to listen to Him. Will we?
Commitment:
With God’s help, I seek to build my life upon the Word of the Father and listen to the Son of God at all time.

Prayer:
Lord, fill my heart with the brilliance of your glorious presence, and may my ears be ever attentive to your voice. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Friday of the Second Week in Lent
THE FORGETFULNESS OF INGRATITUDE

Acts 7:30-40 (New International Version)
30 "After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice: 32 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
33 "Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.'
35 "This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.
37 "This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.' 38 He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.
39 "But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don't know what has happened to him!'

Instead of welcoming him with open arms after he struck down an Egyptian, Moses’ own people rejected him with a derisive question, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?” Things did not pan out as Moses had hoped. Instead of a savior, he became exile. For the next four decades he was forgotten man.

But God did not forget him. Nor did the Lord forget he afflicted people in Egypt. The world may forget. Our memory may fade. And we may even have grown accustomed to our chains. But the Lord remembers. He hears our cries.

Through a flaming bush and a commanding word, the Lord summoned Moses to His service. With a punishing flurry of signs and wonders, Israel was rescued from Pharaoh’s grip. God delivered His promise through Moses.

Yet, no sooner had the erstwhile slaves tasted freedom that they began to clamor for the gods of Egypt. Rejecting Moses, the people wanted gods on their own terms. And this from those who had just witnessed and experience the Lord’s mighty deliverance!

Unfortunately, the tribe of forgetful ingrates lives on the even today. The delivered are wont to forget the Deliverer despite enjoying the blessing of deliverance. When we make no effort to recall and celebrate God’s gracious acts on the behalf, we soon find ourselves hankering after the glamour gods of this world.

The antidote to such forgetfulness is gratefulness. Calvary is God’s definitive act of deliverance. What happened in Exodus is but an anticipation of the more profound deliverance from sin that God achieved through Christ on the cross. Remembering Calvary and being grateful for the gift of new life in Christ keeps us firmly in God’s love.
Commitment:
I resolve to keep Calvary fresh in my mind and be ever grateful to God for his wondrous deliverance in Christ.

Prayer:
Knowing how prone I am to forget you and you goodness, help me, dear Lord, to be always mindful of your presence and grace. Amen.



All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Thursday of the Second Week in Lent
THE LIVING STONE AND A CHOSEN PEOPLE

1 Peter 2:4-10 (New International Version)
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame." 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," 8 and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Picture of ancient temples that have withstood the ravages of time often speak of the sturdiness and enduring quality of these structures. But they only stand as monuments of the past, without the life they once had. They are mere shells of what greatness they once were. The worshippers are dead and gone.

However, Peter tells us that the Church of Jesus Christ is like a living spiritual temple, made up of ‘living-stones’ believers, a people redeemed by Christ. And the reason why the Church alive today is that its foundation stone is none other than Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages. Although many reject Christ, those who accept Him as the precious cornerstone of their lives, He has made them His ‘chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation, a people belonging to God.’ He has filled their lives with praises and worship, because He has wrought for them an eternal redemption, which will not be ravaged by time and mortality.

Jesus has spoken of the house built upon a firm rock that withstood the onslaughts of wind and flood, whereas the one built upon sand collapsed (Mt 7:25ff). He was that rock. He told Peter, ‘Upon this rock I will build My church’ (Mt 16:18), and like the indispensable cornerstone of old which secured the stability7 and soundness of a building (Is 28:16-17)’ Jesus had Himself, in His costly paid death and sacrifice on the cross, paid a great price to become the sure and eternal chief cornerstone of our salvation.

The titles accorded to His redeemed people (v9, 10) speak not only of our privileged position in Christ, but of inimitable grace of our God. He has made us so that we are able to continually draw near with confidence to His throne, to receive mercy and find grace to help on time of need (Heb 4:16) all the time.
Commitment:
I surrender all my rights so that I may be truly yours.

Prayer:
Help me, Lord, to be constantly reminded of my calling: a living stone to continually declare your praises. Amen.




All Lent Devotion materials are taken from 'Take Up Your Cross' - Daily Devotion for Lent 2009 by Bible Society of Singapore.

Labels: Lent

Please do pray for Xuewei.

"I'm starting to feel all the stress, the weight and burden of all the upcoming examinations, cut-off-points etc. Yes, just before holidays. Please pray for me that I may be able to seek calmness from God and that I may remember to turn to God in times of such difficulties to help me tide through this period. Thank you."

- Doreen

Labels: Prayer

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